Anything for You
by crystal ice614
Summary: Even if it meant losing Yami, Yugi knew he had no choice. YxYY


Okay, this takes place during the "Waking the Dragons" season. It occurs right after Yugi's soul is taken. Since the show doesn't show things from Yugi's perspective, I decided to make a one-shot about it. I never read the manga, so sorry if that goes more into detail of what had happened. Anyways this is a puzzleshipping fic, but it's kind of on the line between friendship and romance. It is for a contest I'm in, and I don't own Yugioh.

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Darkness engulfed the small boy, its dreariness weighing down on the rocky terrain. The sun had long since set, its warm glow replaced by ominous shadows. Fraught shrieks echoed down the ravine, the noise as disconcerting as an unexpected clap of thunder.

The boy, more spirit-like than actually human, trembled at the noises, his mind not quite connecting the sound to anything he had ever before heard. The cries intensified as though there was something unsettling about him waking up.

He tried to wrap his small arms around his shaking body in an attempt to calm himself but was surprised when he felt nothing. There was no warm feeling of his hands touching his arms in a futile attempt to feel more secure.

Upon looking down, he realized he was translucent like he was when Yami took over, but if Yami had taken over, where was he?

His mind suddenly flooded with memories of the day's events. He and Yami were in a losing duel when Yami had insisted that there was only one way to win. He tried to stop Yami, but it was of no use. The duel had ended, and he was taken here, but where was here? Certainly, it wasn't what he had expected. At the very least, he had thought he would get to see Dartz, who would gloat the pharaoh's loss. Instead he was at the bottom of what looked to be a canyon, but that explained nothing.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Yugi all alone. Did the King of Games lose? I knew you didn't really have any talent. Just luck, like the little friend of yours," a voice mocked behind him.

Yugi turned around to be face-to-face with Bandit Keith, one of the last people he had expected to see. He was taken aback as he realized Keith was also translucent. Was this where the trapped souls were held. That would make sense, except why would Bandit Keith be here? The last time Yugi saw him was during Battle City. Unless Dartz had somehow taken Bandit Keith's soul as well…

"Did Dartz defeat you?" Yugi asked ignoring what Bandit Keith had said.

Bandit Keith shrugged, obviously unwilling to give Yugi any information about why he was here. Yugi sighed. This was all so frustrating. First he gets separated from all of his friends and taken to someplace he's never been to before, and then no one is able to answer his questions. He was here for a reason, but he wasn't quite sure why. Did this place have any meaning in what had happened to Dartz? It was apparent that there were only lost souls here, but that was about all he understood.

"Still trying to figure it out," a placid voice asked. Yugi looked up to see that the voice belong to an old man that he had never met before, and ever more startlingly, Bandit Keith had vanished.

"Who are you?" Yugi asked in an apprehensive voice, unsure if this man was his friend or enemy. Not that there was much the man could do to him. He was just a spirit now, and the worst thing that could happen to him was being sent to the Shadow Realm.

"My name is Ironheart. Don't worry, I'm here to help," He reassured Yugi as if reading the boy's thoughts. "You are in a sacred circle filled with lost souls. Most of them are souls that seek revenge. You are here, however, to save a friend from the darkness that lurks in his heart. Only you can accomplish such a feat."

Yugi scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. What was this man talking about? Defeat what darkness? It made no sense.

"What friend? And how do I defeat their darkness? Shouldn't they be the ones who do that?" Yugi asked.

"The one who caused you to come here cannot overcome it without you. You must lose in a duel against him. It is the only way," Ironheart advised him. "I must go now."

"Wait! I still don't understand!" Yugi shouted to the retreating man. Ironheart disregarded his pleas for understanding and quickly vanished. There was no more he could do. Yugi must figure out the rest himself, for even Ironheart was unsure of how to perform such a task.

Yugi slumped down in defeat. His last hope of getting out of here had just left, making him more confused than before. The one who sent him here was Dartz, but Dartz was certainly not his friend. Who else could it be? Well, if Yami hadn't played that card…Yami?! He was supposed to save Yami, the one person who always saved him, but how could he? Without Yami, he was weak. Yami had given him everything.

He shook his head. Yami had already done enough for him; he had to be strong for him. It was his turn to return the favor. Yugi knew he had no choice. Yami meant more to him than anything else in the world. He would do whatever was necessary to save him.

The sun began rising, its brilliant colors lighting up the sky in a rainbow of streaks. The bright display gave Yugi hope. If what Ironheart said was true, only he could save Yami, and Yugi refused to let him down.

Approaching shadows signaled it was time. It wouldn't be easy, but Yugi knew he could do it. He would remember everything Yami had taught him and make him proud.

But how would he get Yami to duel him? Maybe if Yami thought he was mad at what had happened, Yugi could convince Yami to duel him. It would be risky. He could easily lose Yami, but if Yami really cared about him, he would understand.

"I just hope you understand why I have to do this," Yugi whispered, his words lingering on the wind even once he had vanished.


End file.
